4

Morning sunlight filled the room when I woke.

The feverish ache was gone. My body felt loose and pleasantly heavy, though my lower lip was sore where I must have bitten it.

I started to sit up and discovered Adrian asleep beside me, fully dressed except for his shoes. One arm lay over the blanket between us as if he had spent the night making sure I did not roll out of bed.

Fragments returned: his hand at my neck, his voice asking if I was still all right, the sting of his teeth, and the relief that followed.

Heat rushed into my face.

I lifted his arm and tried to slip away.

He caught me around the waist without opening his eyes.

“Running?” His voice was hoarse with sleep.

“You were awake?”

“Barely. I wanted to see what you’d do.” He opened one eye. “Apparently you use an alpha and abandon him before breakfast.”

“I did not use you. I had an emergency.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “How do you feel?”

I considered the question honestly. “Great.”

Adrian stared at me, then laughed into the pillow.

The sound was low and unfairly attractive.

I misunderstood his expression completely.

“Wait.” I reached for my wallet, pulled out the cash I had saved for textbooks, and held it toward him. “Thank you for last night.”

His smile vanished.

When he refused to take it, I tucked the bills into the pocket of his discarded jacket.

His face grew even colder.

“I’ll buy suppressants today,” I promised. “Last night was a one-time emergency. You don’t have to feel responsible. Roommates help each other.”

He said nothing.

I kept digging.

“And now that I’m an omega, living with an unrelated alpha might be awkward. I’ll apply for a room transfer as soon as I can.”

Adrian moved so quickly that I found myself against the headboard. His forearm cushioned my lower back before I could hit the wood.

Even furious, he protected me.

“You can’t leave,” he said quietly.

I blinked. “Why not?”

“You said roommates help each other.” His gaze dropped to the temporary mark at my neck. “My rut is coming.”

“So?”

His throat worked.

“So you’re going to help me too.”